Dewy + Hydrating Spring Makeup Routine

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #InspiredHydration #CollectiveBias

Did you know that drinking enough water is essential to your skincare routine? Gosh, I have such a hard time meeting that daily quota but I'm doing my best! My go-to pure & crisp drink is smartwater®, which I pick up from Target while I'm doing one of my weekly Target strolls :) 

With springtime on the horizon, I love all the fresh flowers and sunshine outside. It inspires me to wear brighter colors, make flower arrangements, and serves as a reminder to keep my skin and body hydrated! Snag the 6-pack smartwater from Target and pick up some makeup while you're there so you can follow my hydrating & dewy springtime makeup tutorial! 

Makeup Shopping List

Moisturizer (preferably with SPF)

Hydrating skin primer

Foundation with SPF

Mauve creamy matte lipstick

Neutral makeup palette

Golden-pink blush

Volumizing mascara

Golden face highlighter

Glitter liquid eyeshadow (I picked up a rose gold shade)

Makeup finishing spray

smartwater

1. Hydrate!

Gotta hydrate your skin with a moisturizer that seeps into the skin, and has SPF to protect your biggest asset! Make sure to grab some vapor distilled smartwater to hydrate yourself as well :) 

2. Prime your skin & use beauty blender to apply foundation

I use an illuminizing primer all over to make my skin look dewy and fresh. Then use a damp beauty blender to apply your favorite foundation with SPF all over your face. You'll pat the foundation into your skin so it has more staying power. 

3. Highlight browbone & inner corners on eyes

Use your favorite neutral eyeshadow palette for the next couple of steps. I used a light shimmery pink  to highlight my browbone and the inner corner. 

4. Deepen the crease 

Use a fluffy brush and find a warm brown tone on your palette, then apply that to the crease. Lightly go back and forth along the crease then use the windshield wiper motion and go upwards to blend and 'smoke out'. 

5. Glitter the lids!

My favorite part! This rose gold formula is pretty creamy, so I applied directly to my lids and then patted with my ring finger to blend into the crease. The shimmer gives the illusion of being wet, which is perfect for this hydrating makeup routine. 

6. Highlight your pretty face

Finish your face makeup with more pretty shimmery highlight! Spring is all about being bright, shimmery and happy ;) Apply this to your upper cheekbones, down the center of your nose, and along the Cupid's bow. You want the high points of your face to be reflective and gorgeous! 

7. Blush it up

I picked up a golden-pink blush that would look good on any skin tone! Smile, and apply lightly to the apples of your cheeks with a fluffy brush. 

8. Apply your lippie

With how much shimmer and glitz I have going everywhere else, I toned it down with the lipstick choice. I picked up a creamy matte mauve shade that will complement the other shades I've used, while still adding some dimension.

9. Lashes & finishing spray!

Finish with a dewy finishing spray, and your favorite volumizing mascara! This look is perfect for any spring occasion, I'll be wearing this on vacation to go bike in Central Park in NY :) 

10. Hydrate with smartwater!

While wearing this look in Central Park, I'll need to bring my smartwater so I can hydrate during the sunny day. 

Where would you wear this look? Where would you bring your smartwater to hydrate?

Ready for Kickoff

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #ReadyForKickoff #CollectiveBias

I love when the big football game of the season comes around, it's a great excuse to try out new recipes to share with friends! This time I wanted to try out 3 different ways to use my favorite RITZ Crackers and a twist on my favorite Coke Zero. I picked up all my goodies from Walmart, which is seriously my favorite place to shop (insert praise hands emoji) since they have everything at such a killer price. 

We'll be inviting friends who are still holding strong to their "eating healthy" New Years Resolution, so I made a veggie jam-packed recipe as a topping for my RITZ Crackers. Below is the recipe, along with all the other treats and decor from my party!

Loaded Chicken Salad Topping Recipe

2 cups of chicken (shredded or cubed)

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup bacon bits

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1. Throw all the above items into a bowl and mix. To make my life easier I purchased canned chicken, mayo in a squeeze bottle, and bacon bits in a bag.  I'm already throwing a party, don't want to make things even crazier by cooking all the ingredients! 

2. This beautiful shredded 1 cup of sharp cheddar needed it's own big picture ;) Throw this in the bowl too!

3. Chopped all my veggies: green onions, yellow onion, and celery. These veggies make the recipe extremely filling and helps my health-conscious friends feel good about snacking on this all night long. 

4. Dash in some salt and pepper, mix, then you're all good to go! This is the perfect RITZ Crackers topping, something that you can nom on in between touchdowns. 

For a sweet treat, I made milk chocolate dipped RITZ Crackers. Decorated with red & black sprinkles to root for our team! It's only half-dipped, so it gives a taste of chocolate without being too much.

I'm so short! haha 

I love this chalkboard pennant flag sign, since I can change it for each party. The rest of my go-to party items are mason jars, tiered serving platters, and flowers; they are good staples and can be altered for any theme. 

The last recipe I did with the RITZ Crackers is putting cream cheese and peach habanero jelly on top. It's the perfect mix of creamy, sweet, and spice! 

After the holidays I always need a break from all the craziness! Then after a few weeks I feel re-energized and start to miss my family and friends :) Even though the peeps are frequent guests in my home, I like to go all-out for big football parties! 

I always have Coca-Cola at my shindigs! I picked up Coke Zero and wanted to create an ice cream float with a twist. For my health-conscious friends and family, I grabbed vanilla bean ice cream made with coconut milk. It was a delicious option, that minds the waistline! 

Which RITZ Crackers recipe would you use at your next football soiree? Would you try this Coke Zero twist on the classic ice cream float? 

Check out more #ReadyForKickoff inspiration here!

 

Get the "Blah" Out of Your Work Day

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TasteHydration #CollectiveBias

You know that spot of the work day, the dreaded 2-4pm window where your energy is down and you're ready to wrap up for the day? It's real folks, and it has got to stop. That's where my vitaminwater Zero strolls in to save the day!

I like to purchase snacks and these vitaminwater Zero packs to share with all my co-workers, so we can all combat this mid-day "blah" together! This fits into my employee snack budget, especially with the $3.50 in-store Sam's Club discount that runs from April 1st-30, no coupon needed. Score! 

In addition to picking up some vitaminwater Zero, I've got a few tips and tricks for you to overcome that midday "blah"!

1. Sit in the sunlight

Sitting at a desk, behind a computer, can be a little soul-sucking :/ I love being at a desk next to a window or skylight that pours in tons of sunlight. It brightens my mood! 

2. Stay hydrated with vitaminwater Zero

A lot of times I'll be sitting at my desk and it hits me that I NEED HYDRATION. I love how vitaminwater Zero has electrolytes and vitamins in it to give me that pep I need! That's something I definitely need to be better at with my busy schedule, staying constantly hydrated. It's helpful to have a drink nearby at all times so you can sip to your hearts content!

3. Collaborate and share with co-workers

When I'm working on a project and just get stuck, it doesn't help to blankly stare at my computer. I grab a co-worker and ask for their advice! We chat about work and grab a drink together, which inspires me with a solution to my problem!

4. Walk around while taking phone calls

Getting up and walking around helps shake out the wiggles and get the body moving a bit. I find that when I'm up walking around while taking phone calls it helps me think clearer. Give it a try!

5. Step outside for a snack

Finally, enjoy that sunshine and get outside for a quick snack! Even popping outside to get some fresh air will bring back that energy to finish the work day strong.

Hit up your local Sam's Club and grab a pack of vitaminwater Zero with the $3.50 discount; and help get that pep back into your work day!